The present invention relates to a sheet heating device for use in an image recording apparatus, and more particularly, to the sheet heating device which has a heater at a sheet path for heating the sheet during its travel.
Commonly assigned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 385,376 is filed on July 27, 1989 in which a sheet carrying a visible image is heated by a hot air, so that the sheet is not in direct contact with a heat source. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a guide plate 51 is provided at a sheet path, and a pair of feed in rollers 52 and a pair of feed out rollers 53 are rotatably disposed at inlet and outlet sides of the guide plate 51. Further, a cover 54 is disposed over the guide plate 51 so as to define an internal space therebetween. In the space, there are provided a heater 55 and a hot air circulation fan 56 which generates hot air stream having a width equivalent to a lateral length of a sheet 50 which lateral length extends in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the sheet 50.
The hot air stream is directed to a direction opposite the traveling direction of the sheet 50 as shown by an broken arrow in FIG. 1. In this case, the hot air may be entered below the sheet 50, and the sheet may be floated over the sheet guide plate 51 at the time of introduction of the sheet into the sheet inlet side and subsequent sheet transferring. Such sheet floating may cause sheet jamming.